Step Into the Ring with Brad

Brad Ring made his Major League Soccer debut on Saturday in a 3-2 loss against Chivas USA. The central midfielder subbed on in the 71st minute, his first time on the pitch in a regular-season match after being selected in the second round of the 2009 SuperDraft. Ring sat out his first season with a hip injury, but has finally found himself fit for competition.

San Jose Earthquakes: Brad, you made your MLS debut this past Saturday. How did it
feel to finally get out there after all of the injury trouble you had in 2009?Brad
Ring: It felt good to be out there with the team and obviously I wish it came
in a win, but it’s one step at a time for me and I hope my next playing time
comes in a win.SJE: How would
you assess your first performance?BR: I’d say I
did OK. It was kind of a difficult situation to go into being down and there
wasn’t a ton of possession on our end. I think I did OK, and hopefully I can
just build on this for the future.

SJE: What have
you guys been doing to bounce back this week at home against Colorado?BR: Mainly
trying to keep the intensity up at practice. The coaching staff did a good job
in keeping competition up. Sometimes you can take things from a loss and learn
from them, and I think the Chivas USA game is one of those. We’re just looking
forward to getting back on the field against Colorado on Saturday.

SJE: Did you
have a chance to watch the Champions League semi-final today (Barca-Inter) and
what did you think?BR: It was
pretty intense. Barca had possession the whole time in the last 25 minutes or
so. I really thought they were going to get one more. The match was
entertaining and it went down to the wire.

SJE: What is
your favorite thing to do in the SJ/Santa Clara area and why?

BR: Going down
to Santana Row and eating lunch. There are always a lot of people walking
around in the area. My favorite place to eat is Pluto’s, but I am still looking
around for some more good spots.

SJE: How much
different is San Jose from your hometown?

BR: It’s very
different. I am from Rockford, Illinois, which definitely has a smaller feel
than this. The weather is so much nicer here. San Jose is a bigger city with a
lot more to do and I’m way closer to beaches. Overall, it just has a bigger
city feel.

SJE: Being from
the Chicago area, I know you are a big Chicago Bulls fan. They were eliminated
last night, what do you think they should do in the offseason with that cap
space?

BR: I think we
need to bring in a low-post player who has some presence like a Chris Bosh. I
wouldn’t argue with Dwyane Wade, but I think the biggest need is down low.

SJE: If you
could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

BR: Steak
(sirloin)

SJE: What is the
one band or performing artist that you would like to see in concert while in
their prime? (dead or alive)

BR: I have
actually never been to a concert before in my life, but if I had to choose one
I would want to see, I would have to say the Beatles. It would be great to see
them in their prime. They’re such an iconic group.

SJE: What is the
one song on loop on your IPOD right now?

BR: Mike Posner
– “Speed of Sound”, but my favorite artist is Napalm.

SJE: Three
celebrity crushes.

BR: Jessica
Alba, Jennifer Anniston, Megan Fox.

SJE: What are
your hobbies besides soccer?

BR: I like to learn and teach myself new things. I’m in the process of
trying to learn sign language. After that, I need and want to brush up on my
Spanish. I took four years of Spanish in high school and I want to pick it up
again.